The Pittsburgh Steelers locked up considered one of their prime rising stars to a long-term deal, signing edge rusher Nick Herbig to a four-year, $100 million deal with $42 million in assured cash.
It would have been a shock if Pittsburgh didn’t lock Herbig up, however doing it at this worth is a steal when in comparison with the present market worth for edge rushers. When different cross rushers in the identical pay vary as Herbig, in addition to his fellow Steelers teammates, he has closely outperformed all of them.
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In March, the Carolina Panthers signed Jaelan Phillips to a four-year, $120 million deal. Phillips’ profession excessive in sacks is 8.5, and it got here again in 2021. He had 5 sacks in 2025, one sack in 4 video games in 2024, 6.5 sacks in eight video games in 2023, and 7 sacks throughout a full season in 2022.
Comparatively, Herbig has 16 sacks over the past three seasons in comparison with 12.5 sacks for Phillips. Herbig has additionally compelled 9 fumbles in that three-year span in comparison with only one for Phillips, and he has additionally outpaced the Panthers’ edge rusher in tackles for loss 23-15.
Impact performs
Herbig is likely one of the finest gamers at his place in the case of making influence performs. For this, the influence play stat combines sacks, tackles for loss, compelled fumbles, fumble recoveries, and interceptions. It exhibits the entire quantity of these such performs that every participant makes, and in addition the share of their snaps that lead to an influence play.
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For this particular train, I regarded on the influence performs from Jaelan Phillips, Travon Walker, Brian Burns, in addition to Herbig’s teammates Alex Highsmith, and T.J Watt over the past three seasons and in contrast them to Herbig. What the train discovered is that regardless of enjoying in considerably fewer snaps than all 5 different gamers, his influence play charge was the very best of all of them.
Herbig had 53 influence performs over the past three seasons in 1,216 defensive snaps, good for an influence play charge of 0.043. The full have a look at all 4 gamers is proven under.
|
PLAYER |
CONTRACT |
IMPACT PLAYS |
SNAPS (2023-25) |
IMPACT PLAY RATE |
|
Nick Herbig |
4 years, $100 million |
53 |
1,216 |
0.043 |
|
3 years, $123 million |
108.5 |
2,681 |
0.040 |
|
|
Brian Burns |
5 years, $141 million |
96 |
2,542 |
0.037 |
|
Alex Highsmith |
4 years, $68 million |
60.5 |
2,069 |
0.029 |
|
Travon Walker |
4 years, $110 million |
59 |
2,305 |
0.025 |
|
Jaelan Phillips |
4 years, $120 million |
31.5 |
1,320 |
0.023 |
In phrases of creating splash performs persistently, Herbig is the most effective edge rusher the Steelers have on their roster, and so they locked him up on a discount – a contract that can age gracefully over time.
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